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Original poster

Control your fucking dogs

343 replies

ThunderSkies · 25/08/2020 19:16

I’m so angry. Yet again someone can’t control their dog and my dc is even more afraid due to some massive dog leaping up at their face and mouthing at them (very young, but big dog).

If they have no recall and keep jumping up at people (and are at the mouthing people stage still) don’t fucking let them be able to get out of control.

Dog ran away from owners, out of the garden and my child ran towards the road. I’m so 😡. Why did I come away feeling like my son was to blame for running and shouting (yes it excites the dog, no I can’t stop him doing it when he’s scared and the dog is chasing him). Yes the dog was playing. No, it makes no difference to my child when the dog can jump higher than he is tall.

OP posts:
MoreListeningLessChatting · 25/08/2020 20:33

@Oopsadaisydoddle

My question was for the OP not you... I mistakenly click on the wrong @

nicky7654 · 25/08/2020 20:33

It wasn't intentional, the dog got loose and was excited. No big deal. No harm done.

Hothammock · 25/08/2020 20:35

The dog escaped, this was an accident and they happen.
Your child's reaction put them in extreme danger.
That reaction is what you need to help them to work with.
But you sound so.... Aggressive

bbn81 · 25/08/2020 20:36

I completely agree OP. I have 2 DS and both are scared of dogs because of repeated incidents with dogs off leads in public places. Trying to teach my eldest that they just want to play. He is getting better as we have recently met a number of dogs that will just walk past. The most delightful incident I had was when I was out walking with my youngest in his pram, two dogs were coming towards us on a path carrying a 6 foot long branch neither on a lead. I had to dive into the hedge to stop the log taking out my child's face. Owners made no attempt to stop or apologise, I was furious.

OverTheRainbow88 · 25/08/2020 20:36

I’m a dog fan, but have chosen not to have one. Was out walking yesterday and 4 dogs charged over to my 2 boys, jumping up on them, trying to lick them etc... I picked up my youngest... their owner came over and said this isn’t really the place to be if you don’t like dogs... we were in a wooded area near a kids playground. I Like dogs but doesn’t mean I want random ones to lick my kids faces

amicissimma · 25/08/2020 20:36

Why is it that on every thread where someone complains that an uncontrolled dog has hurt or frightened her or a child, someone comes on and says 'get the anxiety sorted'?

Why should anyone start doing mental work when they have a perfectly reasonable reaction to something that they don't like? If you have a dog, control it. Don't let it bark or snarl at people, or other dogs. Don't let it touch them, unless you are told it's OK. Don't judge the other person's reaction. Sort out your dog and let them address, or enjoy, their feelings.

Original poster
ThunderSkies · 25/08/2020 20:38

She managed to grab the dog. I managed to say, ''this is the exact reason why he's scared of dogs', as I got my son and brought him home (she just held onto the dog - arms round the neck / body, because he had no collar etc.) All of the things I should have said and all of the thoughts of what could have happened came after I had shut the door. We were walking together, if he’d been on his own, I'm not sure what would have happened.

OP posts:
heartsonacake · 25/08/2020 20:42

We were walking together, if he’d been on his own, I'm not sure what would have happened.

Exactly. That’s why you need to sort out your son’s phobia.

You can ignore me all you want, but don’t ignore your son and continue to blame everyone else. They may be at fault but you can get him the help he needs to control his fear, and if you don’t, you are failing him.

HDDD · 25/08/2020 20:47

Jeez, I was angry on your behalf at the original post - now I'm angrier at those claiming an out of control dog is YOUR problem.

Original poster
ThunderSkies · 25/08/2020 20:47

Of course I’m failing my son🙄 🤦‍♀️

OP posts:
Original poster
ThunderSkies · 25/08/2020 20:48

Flowers thank you for the kind and helpful posts

OP posts:
Seeingadistance · 25/08/2020 20:51

I’d report to the Police, OP.

I used to live next door to a family with a large dog which regularly escaped from their garden. One day I was walking along the pavement past their house and the dog ran out and attacked me. When I reported to the Police they told me that there had been other reports. The postman had stopped delivering their mail because of the dog, and people who lived locally would cross the road to avoid getting too close to that house.

Their dog is large and scary to a child. For a child to try to escape from a large, unpredictable animal with teeth and claws is entirely rational - not a phobic response.

Report to the Police this time and every time until they learn to keep their dog under control.

coronafiona · 25/08/2020 20:54

I'm with you OP. I just cannot understand why owners don't just let them sh*t in their own gardens and then exercise them on a lead. Instead everyone else has to deal with the mess and badly behaved animals, it's disgusting.

And now I'll get told that they are wonderful creatures etc. I don't agree.

sycamorecottage · 25/08/2020 20:54

People with large dogs really don't understand how frightening it is for a small child to have one come bounding up to them. A large dog is much taller and heavier than a little child and can easily knock them flying.

What I'd quite like to do is to give the dog owners a bucket of feed and stand them in a field with a couple of hungry horses. So they can find out exactly how terrifying it is to have a huge animal galloping towards them at high speed.

BornOnThe4thJuly · 25/08/2020 20:54

The OP said she has been working on her son’s fear, as any sensible parent would. It takes time to improve a fear like that though, and when the child is repeatedly chased or barked at, or jumped up at, it just sets you straight back to square one!
It’s much more so up to owners, to stop breaking the law surely?

belle40 · 25/08/2020 20:55

My child was knocked flat by a dog today. It managed to jump up at her face twice before I could get to it and take it back to its owner (completely oblivious on the other side of a wood). I was beyond furious. My child (5) was hysterical. Dog owner responded by bringing the dog back towards me and my child and standing there saying, ' I said I was sorry. What do you want me to do?' She refused to leave after I told her twice to take her dog away from us. I finally lost my temper and really shouted at her.

I am a dog owner. It takes time, effort and cost to effectively train a dog. I really wish people would think more carefully about getting a dog. Children should be safe to play in woods and play areas without this happening.

MoreListeningLessChatting · 25/08/2020 20:56

@ThunderSkies

I think what @heartsonacake is trying to say but people may have missed is that although it is the dog owners fault that the dog is not controlled you need to help your son deal with this type of thing so that when he is alone he is able to have a strategy to help rather than running into the road. Eg, if a dog approaches, don't run but turn back to dog or something similar to help. Not easy because he is scared of dogs but if you aren't with him and something like this happens it is teaching an approach that doesn't put him in danger from traffic ...as in running off across the road.

It's right to be angry but that doesn't help your son or help in the future if this occurs again.

Does that make sense?

Laiste · 25/08/2020 20:58

Is the dog being allowed to run lose in a garden which is unfenced? ie: just hedges with holes?

If so, report the fact to the council dog warden. Ask for it to be kept anonymous. They'll write to or visit the dog owners and remind them it's their responsibility to contain their animal/s or have them removed.

Tlollj · 25/08/2020 20:58

I report to the police too. I think if you go online you can do it there. Have a look at your council’s web site too they may have a dog warden.
Your son, or any one else, should be able to walk down the road without being barked at jumped at slobbered all over and chased. If they can’t control their dog they shouldn’t have one.
Your son presumably wouldn’t have a ‘phobia’ if the bloody thing was in a lead.

percheron67 · 25/08/2020 20:59

I become so angry when i read about people not being in control of their dogs. Some time ago, there were proper dog and puppy training classes which taught discipline to dogs and owners. This is now a rarity and has been replaced by mumbo jumbo where dogs are walked extended leads and allowed to do as they please. Dogs, horses and children need to learn about good manners and behaviour. If a puppy is not made to stop jumping up and being a nuisance it won't know how to behave in polite society.

My neighbours have a dog who is dangerous. He has always been dicey and they took him to a so-called trainer and he is worse than ever. \he is constantly being given treat when he eventually does what is asked. He goes out with a harness, extra lead and a muzzle!!

If he had been trained properly from the start i am sure this would not be the case.

I now await being shot down in flames by Behaviourists and Trainers who have no idea how to train well mannered and safe dogs. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and we are now seeing a generation of dogs who do not think twice about biting other dogs and humans. I rest my case.

Laiste · 25/08/2020 21:01

A similar situation was going on where we used to live about 4 years ago (neighbors dog kept escaping and running riot getting into houses (doors open in summer) and gardens and scaring kids and other peoples pets, shitting on the lawns jumping on furniture IN PEOPLES houses) and the council were great. Dog wasn't being aggressive, just a massive bloody pain in the arse and the owners seemed to think it wasn't their responsibility to stop it happening! HmmConfused

mylittleyumyum · 25/08/2020 21:02

My sister in law is terrified of wasps.

She had the 'flight' response. She has -Swerved her car (with baby) off the road. Thrown a drink - glass and all, smashed all over my garden
Ran away from her children in busy places, often leaving the pram
Ran onto roads

She is a danger to herself. If this had been addressed when she was younger she wouldn't also be endangering her children.

Wasps will always be there. She can't control that, but she can take control of her reaction to them.

Dogs and irresponsible dog owners will always be around. I think it would be kind to impart how to act calmly around animals.

gottakeeponmovin · 25/08/2020 21:02

I've got dogs and tbh I agree with you. my dogs are usually very well behaved but on occasion one has run up to someone and my husband says he is just being friendly - it pisses me off. I say to him they don't care if it's being friendly they don't want our fucking dog in their space.

ErinBrockovich · 25/08/2020 21:03

My DS is only 2 and is already shit scared of dogs after a big one chased him. I had to pick my son up (who was screaming in fear) and lift him up until the owner came and called the dog off.

The owner was very very apologetic. I tried to explain to my son that the dog was playing and stroked the dog myself but my son was physically shaking.

I now have no idea how to stop my son’s fear or how to teach him how to behave calmly around dogs because his gut instinct is to run Sad

ChipsyChopsy · 25/08/2020 21:04

Report to the police? Wise up!

I think you are overreacting OP.